Crazy Eights (DVD, 2008)

What Happened !!! ??? This could have been so good. Did the crew get smashed? Oh well, here we go... (man, I was looking forward to a GOOD movie).

Six friends reunite after 20 years at a mutual childhood friend's funeral. A search through their deceased friend's house reveals a map to a time capsule they buried some twenty years earlier which spurs the friends to find it and dig it up. After uncovering the trunk, the unexpected is found ... the rotted remains of a child. A child from a past they've long forgotten, a child that begins to haunt their every waking moment and makes them question who they really are. The closer they come to remembering the circumstances of the mysterious child's death, the closer they come to their own reckoning. The memory that will eventually kill them one by one is the same memory they need to discover to stay alive.

CRAZY EIGHTS stars Traci Lords, which right off the bat should give you an indication of what you’re about to see. Her acting is so incredibly bad at times it’s amazing that I even finished watching the film. The only strong performance comes from vet Frank Whaley (Vacancy), who can play a Jekyll and Hyde to perfection. Beyond the performances there really isn’t much there as the entire film is loaded with exposition. A horror movie is supposed to be visceral, not dialogue heavy, which is why CRAZY EIGHTS is boring.

And even with some beautiful cinematography, the atmosphere can’t add any suspense to the film. The big mystery surrounding the dead child isn’t enough to captivate an audience, especially because the film opens with an explanation of what we’re dealing with. It’s insane to me that they would give so much away before the opening credits are even over and yet it’s all there. If you can’t figure out the twists and turns before they happen you weren’t paying attention, which is bad in itself.

This movie could have been a bigger hit. This should have been turned over to King,Carpenter or Koontz for a re-write. I try to be easy on thrillers. I love 'em. But I can't here. Buy it if you want to complete the collection.
More than $5.00 + S&H is a unneccessary reach.

DTD